Federal health officials say that not only has a Louisiana resident contracted the first severe case of bird flu in the U.S., but that the virus likely mutated in the patient. The findings raise concern regarding the adaptability of the virus.

Genetic samples from the patient contained mutations that could, in theory, help the virus better infect human cells.

A genetic analysis of the bird flu in the body of a Louisiana man who contracted the first severe case found it mutated inside of his body, a development that could allow the virus to more easily spread to humans.

The CDC said Thursday its analysis of samples from a Louisiana patient with bird flu showed mutations not seen in samples from an infected backyard flock

The CDC said that testing of a person with a severe case of bird flu indicated the virus had mutated but the risk remains low to the public as no human-to-human transmission has been documented.

A genetic analysis of samples from the patient in Louisiana recently hospitalized with the country’s first severe case of H5N1 bird flu show the virus likely mutated in the patient to potentially become more transmissible to humans,

A genetic analysis of viral samples from a patient in Louisiana hospitalized with the first severe case of bird flu showed mutations that may result in the virus becoming more transmissible

HPAI is considered low risk to humans, the agency said, and there have been no human cases in New England during the current outbreak. The post Bird flu detected in small backyard flock in Vermont appeared first on Boston.